The purchase of archival supplies to properly
rehouse and store 410 architectural drawings—dated 1889 through 1977—associated
with the planning, construction, and history of New York’s Carnegie Hall. The
purchase of archival folders, interleaving paper, archival tubes, and polyester
film would implement recommendations presented in a March 2016 collection
survey conducted by conservators from the Northeast Document Conservation
Center, and result in improved organization and environmental conditions for
this historic collection. Significant items to be rehoused include William B.
Tuthill’s 45 original drawings from the 1891 construction of Carnegie Hall, John
McNamara’s 1969 pencil sketch for a new marquee, and floor-by-floor plans of
the historic studio apartments once populated by some of the world’s leading
artists.

The project will enable Carnegie Hall's Archives to purchase archival folders, interleaving paper, and archival polyester film to properly house the Hall’s Architectural Drawings Collection. Spanning 1889-1977, the collection consists of 410 drawings by architects associated with Carnegie Hall’s history—including William B. Tuthill, Ely Jacques Kahn and Robert Allan Jacobs (Kahn and Jacobs), and John J. McNamara. The Collection documents the construction of Carnegie Hall in 1891 and subsequent renovations and improvements. Preservation measures of this project are based on an assessment conducted in 2016 by professional consultants in paper conservation. The architectural drawings are noteworthy for those studying the humanities because they not only document the building plans of Carnegie Hall, but have broader historical significance in terms of the cultural, social, and economic trends of their time.

Project fields:Architecture; Music History and Criticism; U.S. History